Car-seal.



' J. H. DE MAY.

' CAR SEAL.

(Application filed June 22, 1901-.)

[Panama Dec. l7, I90l.

(No Model.)

@vweutoz v 'THE "cams PETERS C0,, vacuum-10.. wAsmNsTou n c UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. DE MAY, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

CAR-SEAL.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 688,835, dated December 17, 1901.

Application filed June 22, 1901.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. DE MAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Seals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to means for sealing cars, mail-pouches, packages, and articles desired to be made secure against opening without rendering detection possible.

The invention consists, essentially, of the structural features and novel combinations of parts set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and drawings hereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the seal is formed. Fig. 2 is a detail View showing the end portions of the blank folded preliminary to folding the side wings to complete the box for inclosing the folded end portions when interlocked. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, showing the seal as it appears when the side wings are folded and the terminal of the catch end of the strap introduced into the box. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line X X of Fig. 3 on a larger scale. Fig. 5 is an end view of the seal.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The seal is formed of sheet metal and con.- sists of a single blank comprising a strap Ct, having widened portions f and g near one end, formed by side wings e and d, the widened parts f and g being separated by a narrow portion it, which constitutes the outer end of the box formed by the parts f and g when folded Serial No. 65,678- (No model.)

in the manner presently to be described. The

end portions of the strap are folded on the lines a: a: and y y, the folded end portion 0 having an opening 0 and the folded end portion I) havin'ga projection 12, formed by convergent slits therein, the part inclosed between the slits being pressed outward, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 4. The part 9 constitutes the body of the box formed at one end of the strap and the part f forms the cap closing said box. The part g is wider than the part f, thereby ad mitting of edge portions of the wings d folding over the edges of the wings e, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 5, after which the wings d and e are bent, forming side seams, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 5. The box formed by the partsfand g is closed at its outer end by the part h, thereby preventing the introduction of an instrument to effect a separation of the parts I) and 0 when interlocked. The folded end portion 1) is inclosed by the box, and the projection b comes between the part b and the cap f. The part b is in effect a spring-tongue at the entrance of the box and inclines from one side to the other, being fixed at its outer end and loose at its inner end, which is provided with the tooth or barb b.

The seal, formed substantially in the manner set forth, is applied by folding the strap a upon itself and thrusting the folded end a into the open end of the box until the part c clears the inner end of the part b, when the loose end portion of the strap is drawn outward, which causes the end 0 to enter the space formed between the part b and the cap f, and when the opening 0 reaches the point of the engaging projection b the latter will enter said opening and prevent separation of the parts I) and 0, thereby completing the seal, which cannot be opened without rendering detection possible. The folded end 0 may be designated as a spring-catch, which rides under the spring-tongue b when inserting the end of the strap into the box. When properly fastened, the barb b of the tongue 19 passes through the opening 0, and the parts 0 and I) become locked and secured against possible opening without mutilati-ng the seal to such an extent as to insure detection. The sides of the box are strengthened and reinforced by the double seams, which also stiffen IOC the box in the direction of its length, thereby enabling comparatively thin sheet metal to be used in the formation of the seal and which is desirable from a standpoint of economy of material and manufacture. Moreover, the seams are out of the way and enable the box to be exceedingly shallow, which is of material advantage.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is A car-seal consisting of a-metal strap having widened portions f and g near one end separated by a narrow part h, and having the terminal tongue I) provided with barb b, the part f being of less width than, the part 9 and bent to lie within the inclosed space or box 20 and the opposite end of the strap having an opening and being bent to enter the box and interlock with the aforesaid barb, substan= tially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 2 in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. DE MAY. XVitnesses:

FREDRICK HOYLAND, Jr., JOHN GEORGE OESTERLE. 

